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YOU’VE NEVER SEEN EVERYTHING
(ROUNDER)
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Fans of Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn won’t be surprised that to lean that September 11 and its aftermath have breathed new political fire into his guitar-driven songcraft. Cockburn is, as this disc’s grooving, rap-inspired lead track notes, "Tried and Tested," and the staples of his best work are all here, from soulful love songs that cut to the bone ("Open" and "Celestial Horses") to vivid, spoken-word musical travelogues ("Postcards from Cambodia" and "You’ve Never Seen Everything," both rich with disturbing imagery) to political satire ("Trickle Down") and anthemic assessments of the state of the world ("All Our Dark Tomorrows"). It’s all bolstered by Cockburn’s seasoned guitar playing. What sets You’ve Never Seen Everything apart from previous albums is its bitter edge, which makes a happier tune like the swinging, trancy "Wait No More" particularly welcome. A resurgent jazz sensibility pervades, especially on "Trickle" and a sweet ballad called "Everywhere Dance," and Cockburn dresses a few tracks with electronic loops. He tends to be at his most powerful when he asks big questions, like whether we’ll "fear the spirit when it comes to call." The undercurrent of anger here certainly fits the times, but it’s not the whole story: "Open" is one of the most uplifting songs he’s ever penned.
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